Note: This post is part of a series on the challenges of transformation and how to overcome them.

Inadequate Project Resources

Even projects that are launched with a great deal of planning can fail if the staffing is inadequate.  Sometimes the inadequate part comes from the number of dedicated resources and sometimes it's the quality of the people assigned.  On a really bad engagement it can be both.  Companies that manage projects well understand that a transformation effort should be staffed by the company's best people, not their worst. 

One challenge that companies often have is that it's difficult and expensive to backfill positions.  The willingness of a company to backfill key positions is essential on most projects so that personnel assigned to the project don't also have to perform their "day job".  If backfilling doesn't happen, project staffing plans will have to maintain the fiction that these personnel will devote half a day to the project and half a day to their regular job - 12 hours each.  On major projects, the reality is that there will need to be a core group of individuals who are focused solely on the success of the project. 

In addition to an adequate level of staff who are focused on the project as their primary job, it's essential to choose individuals for both specific capabilities and their ability to lead initiatives.  Many of these project resources will have to use their influence to drive change in the organization, as they won't have direct managerial oversight of the many people required to successfully engage in transformation.  Individuals, particularly at the team lead level or higher, have to be comfortable pushing the envelope and engaging disparate stakeholders.  Companies that don't choose the best people because the departments "can't afford to let these people go" end up paying for it in the long-run (and ocassionally the short-run).  Do yourself a favor and pick the best people for the project and you'll likely be rewarded with an on-time and on-budget project that meets your intended goals.

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